Signs of Spring in the Garden
Month: March 2025
Repotting Seedlings and More Seed Starting
Today, I re-potted my kale, Thai hot peppers and Sweet Thai basil seedlings. They had outgrown their little seedling cells. The kale and peppers were started on February 16, the basil on March 1.
I also started more seedlings: Siam Queen Thai basil (6 cells), Italian basil, Clemson Spineless okra (6) and 6 cells each Merlot lettuce, Allstar Gourmet lettuce mix (Johnny’s), and Salanova green butterhead lettuce (Johnny’s), plus more flowers: Crackerjack mixed marigold (12), Oriental Nights Alyssum (6) and Tall Double Mix strawflower (6). It is my first time growing okra. The okra and flowers are for the communal bed, but I may keep an okra plant or two as they are just so beautiful (even though I am not particularly fond of eating them).
Gardeners’ Gathering
Today was the 49th Boston Gardener’s Gathering. It is an annual event held at Northeastern University that brings together gardeners from Boston and surrounding areas for a day of workshops and exchanges, and for reestablishing (and/or forging new) connections after the long New England winter. Mayor Michelle Wu (accompanied by her two-month-old baby daughter) delivered the keynote address, which was a beautiful, reaffirming optimistic message of growth and resilience. I went to two fantastic workshops, one about soil health and concocting microbial inoculates (it really was a chemistry lab and a lot of fun!), and one on growing sweet potatoes, led by the legendary Elnora Thompson. I met a lot of neighbors and fellow Boston gardeners and went home with a sweet potato slip (thanks, Elnora!) that I promptly potted up. I really needed this kind of kinship today. I also went home with about 200 packages of free seeds for our community garden. I can’t wait for spring!
Early Spring
Things are waking up in my containers. The radishes and arugula I sowed on March 10 sprouted, and the 20 flower bulbs I had planted in my large flower container in early November are beginning to emerge. The bulbs are a mix of White Splendour Anemone, Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica), King of the Striped Crocus and Blue Grape Hyacinth. I am so excited for some color on my back porch soon!
Starting Tomatoes
Yesterday, I started my tomatoes. As always, to stagger harvest, I planted a mix of early (E), mid-season (M) and late tomatoes (L): 2 cells each Scotia (E), Stupice (E), Green Zebra (M), Ailsa Craig (M), Brimmer Pink (M), Ananas Noire (L), Black Krim (L) and Dr. Wyche’s Yellow (L). I sowed two seeds per cell to ensure germination as many of my seeds are from previous years. If both seeds germinate, I will pinch off the weaker one.
All of those varieties are meant for my garden plot. I will have too many as I only plan to have ten plants maximum, but this way, I should have a good number to choose from. I also started 4 cells each Mountain Magic and Peacevine Cherry tomatoes, all of those will go in our communal bed for the neighborhood to enjoy.
In addition, I started Swiss chard (8 cells), Black-Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce (4 cells), May Queen butterhead lettuce (4 cells), lettuce mix (6 cells) and Siam Queen Thai basil (6 cells). I sowed more Thai basil as I did not get the germination rate I wanted from the seeds I had started two weeks ago. Siam Queen is a new-to-me variety, and I am excited.
Anticipation
Progress and More Sowing
Today, I started more seedlings: Sweet Italian basil, Thai basil, and flowers (gomphrena, strawflower and two types of sweet alyssum). Together, they are taking up almost an entire flat of six-packs. I covered the flat with a lid and placed it on a heat mat. Fingers crossed. In two or three weeks, I will start tomatoes and Swiss chard. The kale and Thai peppers I sowed a couple of weeks ago sprouted nicely, 6/6 for the kale and 5/6 for the Thai pepper, which is not bad considering that the pepper seeds were from 2023. I also just spotted my first ginger shoots, yay!
